Moonlighting (1982)

This is a terrific little film, small in both scope and incident, yet utterly compelling from start to finish. Set in London mere weeks after the banning of the Solidarity movement in Poland, it begins briefly in an airport, as some Polish builders attempt to smuggle tools through security. It is not immediately apparent who they are, what they're doing, or indeed why, but it transpires that they plan to work (more or less around the clock) on a small house that belongs to a Polish official, with the aim of turning it into a showpiece.

The secrecy around their arrival is hinted at; by bringing Polish workers over on tourist visas, the never seen official can remodel this small house for a fraction of the price of using British workmen. If this all sounds terribly dull, Jerzy Skolimowski injects staggering tension into the most mundane things; Jeremy Irons, (who also offers terrific narration) the only of the Poles that can speak English, realises that by reusing old receipts at the local supermarket, he can steal food and save money, but every time he's in the store you're terrified he's going to be rumbled.

This is what Moonlighting is so good at, taking everyday first world privileges and offering a glimpse of how we take them for granted. Irons' character is aware of how tight their money situation is becoming, but on top of this, after Solidarity is crushed back home, travel to and from Poland is strictly regulated- and Irons chooses not to tell his comrades.

Moonlighting feels like a comment upon communism, but at the same time Skolimowski leaves it open to numerous interpretations, leaving you hanging onto every scene despite the minimalism of the endeavour. It's an absolutely terrific piece of work, and would work well as part of a double bill with Skolimowski's EO, released earlier this year.

8.1/10